Did a saintly martyr of charity harbor deep-seated antisemitic views during his life?

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Maximilian Kolbe is celebrated as a hero who sacrificed his life for a fellow prisoner at Auschwitz. Yet, his legacy is complicated by his earlier writings, which propagated antisemitic tropes. This tension between his ultimate act of self-sacrifice and his past rhetoric remains a subject of intense historical debate.

Born in 1894, Maximilian Kolbe became a prominent Franciscan friar known for his intense devotion to the Virgin Mary and his prolific publishing career. He founded the Militia Immaculatae in 1917 to counter perceived threats from Freemasons and other enemies of the Church. His organizational skills led to the establishment of the massive Niepokalanów monastery near Warsaw, which served as a major publishing hub for religious literature.

During the 1930s, Kolbe’s publications occasionally featured antisemitic language, including references to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and claims that Jewish influence was harmful to the nation. However, during the Nazi occupation of Poland, his actions contradicted these earlier writings. Kolbe’s friary provided shelter to roughly 2,000 Jewish refugees, and he reportedly told a local that helping them was necessary because all men are brothers.

Kolbe’s death in 1941 at Auschwitz—where he volunteered to die in place of a father of a family—led to his canonization in 1982. His path to sainthood sparked controversy regarding the definition of martyrdom. While some argued he died for charity rather than for the faith, Pope John Paul II insisted his death was a form of religious martyrdom, viewing the Nazis' hatred of humanity as inherently anti-Christian.

Today, Kolbe is honored as a patron saint for various groups, including journalists and prisoners. While his theological influence remains significant, critics like Slavoj Žižek have pointed to his past propaganda as a dark stain on his record. Supporters, conversely, emphasize that his letters rarely mentioned Jewish people and that his final, life-giving act at Auschwitz serves as the ultimate testament to his character.

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